Need Advice - Helping a University Shooting Team get started

[Rob D]

***Mods - accidentally posted this in Rules forum instead of USPSA shooting forum.  Please move.  Thanks!***

 

I've been shooting USPSA matches since 2008 and have a fair amount of experience as a competitor.  I recently decided to go back to college for a second degree and found out that my school(Oklahoma State University) has started a practical shooting team.  They have 10-12 kids that show up regularly.  Until I joined they were just going to the local range, blasting away with whatever rounds they brought, then going home.  Now we have a scheduled weekly practice session in which I'm doing my best to teach them good technique and match skills, and we compete in 1-2 local matches per month.  We plan on applying for USPSA membership as a club once our range is suitable to host a match, but in the mean time, I'm looking for some advice on the following:

1:  How to raise funds -  The club has a few target stands and a few pieces of steel, but that's it.  No walls, no shooting boxes, no boundaries to construct shooting areas, nothing.  Last week I tried to teach them how to enter/exit positions, but without shooting boxes or visual barriers, the kids were just running back and forth across a couple of target sticks.  We would also like to purchase some belt/holster rigs for the club that could be loaned out to students who want to participate.  Does anybody have experience with trying to fund a club like this?  We're applying for an NRA grant and a NSSF grant, but in the mean time we are thinking of soliciting local businesses or possibly trying some other kind of fundraiser.  

 

2:  How to find sponsors - we could use all the support we can get.  The team doesn't have any great shooters at this point, but would it be productive to look for sponsors that might like the idea of promoting the shooting sports with younger generations?  We need range equipment, gear, and especially training.  Anything we could get donated or through sponsorship would be a huge help to the team

 

3:  How to(affordably) acquire range equipment - We would like to host our own match eventually, but for now we just need enough to allow for effective training stages.  What are the most practical ways of building and storing walls, target stands, etc.

 

Any advice is greatly appreciated.  

Edited November 15, 2016 by Rob D

[JupiterAdam]

 I recommend you contact the University of Florida shooting team – check their Facebook page.  This group is only a year or two old and has likely addresses all of the issues you have described above.  Best of luck, Adam. 

[JAFO]

If you are already attending local matches, have you approached the match director to see if the club would be willing to host a benefit match for the team?  If you offered to have your shooters help with setup and teardown, perhaps the club would be willing turn over any profits above whatever fees are owed to the range.  Just a thought.

[Poppa Bear]

Talk to the other clubs about talent.  Most clubs have people who can weld or are real handy with a hammer and nails/ Screwgun and screws.  Supply the materials and they will build the props or at least provide the tools and experience to assist you in building your own.  We have a couple of trailers we use for prop storage.  When we shoot outdoors the trailers hold most everything we need.  In the late fall into the early spring we bring a trailer back to our indoor range and move walls,movers,props,etc. inside.  

There would be some cost associated with building a trailer, but it could be a handy way to store props safely for the new club.

[Round_Gun_Shooter]

Compare the Alumni list with a list of USPSA members for donors or help.  You may find some very willing help.

[Rob D]

I appreciate all the suggestions.  I will definitely look into all of them.  I'm not sure where to get an alumni list, but I'll ask around and see what's available.  We have quite a bit of free labor with all these college kids.  We just need the material to build stuff.  I'm considering asking local businesses for donations and giving them an OSU shooting team t-shirt with a 2016 sponsor list on the back.